Michaux’s Reroute Trail

The “new” Wildcat Trail shouldn’t be called “new.”  If we’re talking about the reroute that is to replace the portion of Wildcat that was the fast, rocky, scree downhill, then it is an entirely different trail.  There’s no “old” versus “new” Wildcat to compare.  The reroute is a cross-country trail along a ridge that is classic east coast riding.

I like it, a lot!  Perhaps the best thing about the reroute, other than how it joins up with red, other than how pretty the forest is while riding it, other than the loamy twist and turns, other than the occasional rocks to keep your focus, is how it begins.  You roll into it on soft, rock-free trail for about three minutes, you’re feeling high, and then you enter the Michaux welcome sign:  uphill through rocks that stretch on.

Way to go trail builders!  No need to get too soft on us!

The backside of the ridge on red before dropping down to the reservoir is seeing more traffic.  The original trail/lines have become wider in the rock feature sections, riders choosing to not go mountain biking.  That’s too bad.

Riding the original lines, I cleaned it from the intersection up top down to the rock garden that sits right before dumping out at the rez.  That was a Michaux first for me.  It felt great.

Around the rez, I went:

I climbed up Yellow on blue and rode around back there where the deer fencing is before coming back to the powerline cut and dropping down to Milesburn.  Up Milesburn to Stillhouse and up some more on the powerline cut, is a nice rest for the arms and wrists.

I rode Ridge to a seldom traveled multi-use trail that drops back down to Milesburn.  Proceeding north on Milesburn to where Ridge comes in and up to a trail that contains my favorite little Michaux downhill, I put it on cruise control. I then cut into the trail to the right after the gate, passing a few more anthills before the fast ending that’s a ripper down to Milesburn.

Satisfied, I spun down Milesburn to Birch Run and jumped back on rez trail to my car.  The stream was my mountain shower, cold and refreshing.